How I Make My Children Miserable

Noah this morning:
"Mom, I don't like it when I have to come in your room to find socks. I like it better when they are folded in my drawer."

I hate laundry.  It's the bane of my existence.  I don't mind washing, but the folding and putting it away drive me mad.  There are so many other things I'd rather be doing.  If you went to the same laundry school that I did, then most of the time there is a basket full of unmatched socks for everyone to dig through.  I keep our sock basket in my bedroom because no guests are allowed in there.  There are times when the socks are all sorted and put away in the right drawers - but it is rare.  I'm not a perfect housekeeper/cook/laundryman/mom/wife.  But I tell myself that being a good mother is about more than socks and vacuuming.  It's about discipline!  OK, not really.  Its mostly driving to soccer practice, finding missing things, forcing vegetables and lots of hugging. 

And so the only good thing about laundry is that it makes my children miserable.  It's the easiest form of discipline in my house.  Laundry is powerful!  When the kids misbehave they get to be my  *special* laundry helpers.  It kills two birds with one stone. I am happy and they are miserable.  I go read a book and they fold the towels.  So I have good reasons for my lame housekeeping skills.  I've got to have a bunch of laundry around for misbehaving kids. Its important to their development.  I'm trying to raise happy, responsible adults who have a good work ethic and all that.  And what better way to do that than to have them do my work for me?

"A clean house is the sign of a boring person."
~Author Unknown


"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance."
~Author Unknown


"If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door, greet him with: 'Who could have done this? We have no enemies.'"
~Phyllis Diller